By continually investing in state-of-the-art production technology for its plants, ARDEX achieves significant energy savings.

Shaping the future

Sustainability is one of the defining issues of our time. Climate change and the financial crisis have driven home the devastating consequences of action geared to short-term goals. In contrast, acting sustainably means shaping the future responsibly over the long term. It calls for the sparing use of economic resources, preserving their value, coupled with protecting our environment – all in a spirit of cooperation based on fairness and respect. Long before it became a buzzword, the concept of sustainability was already an integral part of the ARDEX corporate philosophy. It is the common thread that guides the way our family business thinks and acts.

Operating cost-efficiently: for the planet’s sake

At ARDEX, we see ecology and economy as two sides of the same coin. Climate change demands that valuable resources are used sparingly. ARDEX sets the bar high with products that are not only easy to work but also go a long way. It’s our answer to preserving the planet for the future – and providing value for money. In addition, ARDEX offers emission-free, consumer- and user-friendly products for almost all applications. Sustainability is also a principle that informs business policy at ARDEX. Our latest investments in production facilities are strengthening local business in our sales markets, safeguarding jobs wherever we aim to sell our products, boosting the region’s economy and at the same time easing the load on the environment thanks to short transport distances.

Pointing the way in building chemicals

For sixty years, ARDEX has been a quality and innovation leader in its industry. Our cutting-edge production methods translate into premium quality and functional performance coupled with excellent reliability and durability. With ARDEX products, you know you’ve made the right choice when it comes to sustainable construction. To permanently safeguard the quality of our products, all raw materials are subject to rigorous testing. Regular quality analyses are conducted throughout the manufacturing process right up to the finished product. Work on new developments, especially with a view to enhancing environmental performance, is continually underway at the four ARDEX research centres around the world. ARDEX has invested millions to ensure that innovation continues apace – and will be spending even more in 2011.

Acting in partnership

Unity is strength. That’s why it’s so important to forge dependable partnerships – and make sure they go the distance by cultivating a climate of transparency, confidence and unshakable trust. At ARDEX, the principle of sustainable partnerships is one of the cornerstones of our corporate philosophy – both within the company and beyond. This is why the yardstick for our collaboration with market partners is lasting mutual benefit. We engage in ongoing dialogue to ensure that we incorporate our partners’ needs and expectations into all our business decisions. Naturally, as a family business, our in-house partners are also especially close to our heart. Our staff are the foundation that underpins our success. We are committed to investing in them so that they will continue to feel at home at ARDEX for many years to come.

Sustainable construction

Sustainable construction is gathering momentum. The aim is to design buildings that will contribute to the long-term conservation of energy and resources as well as the health and happiness of occupants. For some time now, various building certification systems have been available to evaluate and honour sustainability, such as the U.S. LEED system and the German Sustainable Building Certificate (DGNB). These systems also take into account different types of building, for instance, office and administrative blocks, schools, airports, etc. Such ratings always consider the sustainability of a building as a whole, so individual building materials cannot be categorised as sustainable or unsustainable. Aside from the purely environmental aspect, the make-or-break question is whether the functionality and quality of the materials used will positively impact the building’s sustainability over its entire life cycle. Here too, you can count on ARDEX for reliable advice in selecting and using the optimum products for your sustainable building project.

Packaging

ARDEX became a signatory in the Australian Packaging Covenant on the 5 September 2012. The Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) is an agreement between companies in the supply chain and all levels of Government to reduce the environmental impacts of consumer packaging by encouraging improvements in packaging design, higher recycling rates and better stewardship of packaging.